what is it and what do i do about it?

15 years ago

bright orange-red bugs on my cherry tomatoes, have 6 delicate black legs and 2 feelers. they congregate in groups. range from 1/8 to almost 1/2" long. they don't seem to be harming either the bush or the fruit. i've googled orange bugs, and tried to find photos that match, with no luck. a photo in Garden Gate magazine is the closest and says it is an aphid, but i'm not positive. it said to use a horticultural oil. question: do you agree with the id and cure? can this oil be used on a bush/the fruit that is ready for picking?

thanks so much!

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Comments (3)

momamamo
15 years ago
See if you can spray them off with your garden hose. That may take care of it. You may have to try it a few times, but it should work. You could also use an insecticidal soap instead of an oil. Maureen
Kimmsr
15 years ago
If they are doing no harm to the plant why would you need to do anything at all? Maybe these wee buggers are actually controlling some insect that you really do not want on your plants and knocking them off with a sharp water spray or killing them with anything may be the worst thing you could do.
Of the some 8,000,000 identified insects in the world today we know that about 8,000 are, potentially, harmful while the others either help control those that might be pests or pollinate our crops, or do no harm. As always simply seeing some insect in your garden is not a reason to get any bug killer out.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
15 years ago
I think you can rest assured that those critters are not aphids. But without a picture, we really can't help much. There are several possibilities, each resembling the others a great deal. Some would be considered pesky, while others quite beneficial.

It's never (ever) a good idea to spray with anything without an accurate identification.